Hello again at long last

It has been far too long since I posted anything on this blog, and for that I apologise. I also apologise to those wonderful people who have posted comments during my absence, and who have been long overdue a reply. I intend to get cracking with replying to comments in the next few days.

Why the absence? No real reason except retirement has proved to be a lot busier than I anticipated. Horse riding, volunteering at the horse and pony rescue centre, going to the gym, lovely long walks in the Yorkshire countryside, meeting up with friends, working in the garden including my new as of last summer vegetable plot have all left little time for much else. Plus a back injury made sitting at the computer rather difficult, though a fantastic physiotherapist and regular Pilates classes have sorted that out.

Not done any further research since my last postings, and to be honest I don’t think there’s a huge amount to add now to my tree. But I intend to try and write a few more articles over the next few months (before the gardening bug gets hold of me again) of the more general, social history kind of thing I’ve been fascinated with while doing my family research. Interestingly, the most read thing on this blog/web site is the article about farm servant life in North-East Aberdeenshire. Must write something similar about coal miners in Ayrshire.

In case anyone heard the news and knows I live in Leeds, yes we had very bad floods on Boxing Day but not in the part of north Leeds where I live. However, I have friends in the Tadcaster and Wetherby area who were impacted, including one who had the emergency rescue people using her paddock in order to do a boat rescue of the people down the hill. All very dramatic and the area is still suffering from flooded homes and businesses, plus old bridges which gave way under the volume of water. It’s been the wettest December on record and also the warmest. So far only one day of snow, which was last weekend. Hope the weather has treated you more kindly wherever you are.

Please pop a comment below to let me know if you’re still out there and haven’t given up on this blog! And if you’re a newcomer, your reply will be with you soon – in the meantime, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to add your link to my tree. I am very lucky to have so many lovely distant relatives out there!

Looking forward to your posts again. I first came upon your web site by searching for sources that addressed the life of farm servants in North-east Scotland in the 19th century. I then discovered our Hutcheon link to my great-great grandmother, Mary Hutcheon.

Welcome back. Hope you’re fully recovered from the back pain. I’m looking forward to your new posts. I think it’s the social history aspect of genealogy that interests me the most — unless it’s my own family!

glad u r back – missed your blogl Got first-hand word of mouth confirmation that the cottage “Four Winds” across from Kennedy’s Buildings was the site where Playhillocks Cottage used to be, where my sister and I were born. This last visit to C/Bay was by far the best of 4 visits over the past 65 yrs since leaving as 10 pound migrants.

So glad you are back _ missed your blog. Had face-to-face word of mouth confirmation that the cottage “Four Winds” across from the Buildings at Longhaven IS IN FACT the site of our old cottage “Playhillocks” where my sister Audrey & I were born. This last visit to C/Bay was by far the best of all four trips I have made since we left as 10 pound migrants 65 years ago.

I found your blog/article so fascinating and informative. My Reids’ all came from around Kincardine O;Neil so I imagine it was very similar to you family. They all ended up in Arbuthnott by the beginning of the 19th century. I have found your articles so enjoyable thank you so much.

Hope you are able to make contact with me – I am mot so good with this technology Mary Hunter (Hamilton) was my ggg grandmother and would be glad of any more information I can be contacted direct by email johnthompson21@hotmail.com

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